Supreme Court wants to give everyone Access to Justice

The Tennessee Supreme Court wants to make sure everyone, regardless of their financial abilities, has access to justice, and a new initiative announced Tuesday will help make that a reality.

A committee has been working for more than a year [1]to launch Access to Justice, which will include a statewide pro bono summit and a yet-to-be-launched website among other action items.

The Access to Justice website will be a repository of resources and information for Tennesseans. It will include videos about the court system, links to local resources throughout the state, and downloadable plain-language forms, which will be approved by the Supreme Court.

The launch of the new website, which is expected to go live in January 2011, will coincide with the pro bono summit, slated for Jan. 20.

It will bring together members the legal community to discuss pro bono issues, preview available technology, and seek input on the development of a statewide pro bono referral system.

Chief Justice Holder also unveiled the court’s new access to justice video, which will be used to educate the legal community and business leaders about the civil legal needs crisis in Tennessee. The video is available at www.justiceforalltn.com[2]